Ping Mitzs

twizzle · #1 24-Jun-2008, 03:48 PM

Hey hun,

just asking for a lil bit of your help here. I want to desgin a website, based on an existing one for a club i go to.
I don't think the current one is as good as it can be and think this is my chance to practice some skills while i mproving on something.

I'd like to do it using CSS, so i can keep the pages similar. But i just don't know where to get started. I have Dreamweaver CS3 as the app of choice. So my question is, where should i get started? Should i just start a layout using HTML and Tables and then change the code to CSS or should i start in CSS? And how do i start in CSS, what do i need to do?

I reckon your one of the best to ask as you've been doing a lot on this latley and all from scratch.

Mitzs · #2 24-Jun-2008, 08:40 PM

Ack! No tables please. Wow Twizzle to be honest I don't know where to start. I've not been in Dreamweaver for a couple of months now. I've been working in photoshop every day. One thing I can tell you before you start is you need to go into DW/edit/ perfernces. Then select the general category. Make sure the " use css instead of html tags" is checked. This will make sure that DW uses css for coding instead of html. Next go to the invisible element category and make sure line breaks is checked. This one will make visible any line breakes like you would find in a word document or something and you will be able to remove them if needed. Then click ok to close out of that window. You want the insert bar which is on top of your window and the property inspector which on the bottom of your window is open. If not go to windows/inspector and property should be right under inspector. On the right side of your window you want to make sure that CSS, Application, Tag Insepector and Files are there in your panel list. These are the ones that I have worked with most. If they are not showing they are under the windows menu too.

Next you will want to go to file/ new
Then select blank page. Page type will be HTML, you can choose a layout if you wish or leave none selected.
Then go to the doctype box and choose XHTML 1.0 Transitional then click create.

Do you plan on using some of the old site twizzle I know this verision of dw can update a old site. I need more information. Can you code? If so you can just hand code in DW if you want if you can't dw can do it all for you. I would have to find you some links though or you need to find a bookstore.

twizzle · #3 24-Jun-2008, 09:26 PM

Thanks for that Mitzs.

I can code in basic HTML but have never used CSS. I may or may not use any of the old site (its only 1 page plus some links to other sites). I think i'd rather start from scratch and jsut use the images and links from the old site.
I dont plan on making this a complicated site, may be 4 or 5 pages and a few slideshows and comments page.

I'll take a look at the changes to the menus and stuff you've already suggested tomorrow and see where i go from there.

Mitzs · #4 24-Jun-2008, 09:27 PM

ok twizzle, start with this link.
http://www.layersmagazine.com/dreamweaver-css-jump.html

Here is the rest of them.
http://www.layersmagazine.com/category/dreamweaver/

Make sure you check out the Spry Navigation in Dreamweaver CS3 tutorial. She even gives you the project files to pratice with. It takes like 3 minutes to create one. If you get stuck on something let me know and we will see if we can figure it out between the 2 of us. I belive TCM works in Dreamweaver too.